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In this tutorial, we will create a surreal underwater scene featuring a giant fish with an umbrella house in this tutorial. First, we'll build the base environment using sky and noise images and a Color Fill layer. Next, we'll add the fish, umbrella, bubbles, window, chimney, smoke, and birds and blend them together using adjustment layers, masking, and brushes. We'll use several adjustment layers to complete the final effect.
Preview of the Final Result
Tutorial Resources
Step 1
Create a new 2000x2200 px document in Photoshop and fill it with white. Open the sky image and use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) to select the sky part and drag it onto the top of the white canvas using the Move Tool (V).
Step 2
Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation and set it as Clipping Mask. Reduce the Saturation values to -35:
Step 3
Make a Color Balance adjustment layer (set as Clipping Mask) and change the Midtones settings:
Step 4
In this step we'll make the underwater part. Create a Color Fill layer and pick the color #0f5164. Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool to draw a selection on the lower part of the canvas. Click the second icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to add a mask to this layer and you should have a similar result like below:
Step 5
Make a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the top of the underwater part as we aim to add the main light source to the middle top. On this layer mask, activate the Brush Tool (B) and select a soft round one with black color. Use this brush to erase the bottom to keep some shadow there.
Step 6
Create another Curves adjustment layer to darken the underwater part.
Step 7
Open the Starry textures pack and select the first one to add to the underwater part. Change this layer mode to Screen 100% and add a mask to this layer. Use a soft black brush to reduce the noise and dots opacity.
Step 8
Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to desaturate the noise.
Step 9
Isolate the fish from the background and add him to the middle of the underwater area.
Step 10
Create a Color Fill layer (set as Clipping Mask) and pick the color #125e72. Lower the opacity of this layer to 50%.
Step 11
Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and bring the Saturation values down to -45:
Add a Color Balance adjustment layer and alter the Midtones settings:
Step 12
Create a Photo Filter adjustment layer and pick the color #23a7f3.
Make a Curves adjustment layer to darken the lower of the fish. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the top of the fish to reveal the lightness there.
Step 13
Create a new layer, change the mode to Overlay 100% and fill with 50% gray. Activate the Dodge and Burn Tool (O) with Midtones Range, Exposure about 15-20% to refine the light and shadow on the fish to fit the background. You can see how I did it with Normal mode and the result with Overlay mode.
Step 14
Make a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #1e4c5f to paint on the contour of the fish. Change this layer mode to Color Dodge 60% and add a mask to this layer. Use a soft black brush to reduce the light around the mouth's area.
Create a new layer and use a soft brush with the color #508ea4 to paint on the top around the top and mouth of the fish to give some blue there. Change this layer mode to Soft Light 100%.
Step 15
Open the sea image and use the Rectangular Marquee Tool to select a sea part in the middle and place it on the top of the underwater part. Use the Free Transform Tool (Ctrl+T) to make this sea part thinner. Add a mask to this layer and use a medium-soft black brush to trim the edges of this part to make it softer and smoother.
Step 16
Make a Color Balance adjustment layer (set as Clipping Mask) and to give the part near the horizon some yellow to fit the light there. On this layer mask, paint on the rest to keep its blue.
Step 17
Create a new layer on top of the layers and use a small white brush to paint the lines for the sea's surface.
Step 18
Open the umbrella image and use the Magic Wand Tool (W) to isolate the umbrella from the white background. Use the Lasso Tool (L) to select the shaft of the umbrella to add to the middle of the fish. Use Ctrl+T to make the shaft thinner.
Select the top of the umbrella to add to the top of the shaft in the main document.
Take the handle from the original image to add to the bottom of the umbrella in our working image.
Step 19
Select all the umbrella part layers and hit Ctrl+G to make a group for them. Change the group's mode to Normal 100% and add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer within this group to desaturate the umbrella.
Step 20
Create a new layer within this group and hold down the Ctrl while clicking the thumbnail of the shaft and handle layers to load their selection. Use a soft brush with the color #0e6688 to paint on the handle and the shaft part below the sea's surface. Lower the opacity of this layer to 30%.
Step 21
Make a Curves adjustment layer to darken the umbrella. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush to erase the end tip and then lower the brush's opacity to 5-10% to reduce the effect on the shaft.
Create another Curves adjustment layer to brighten the top of the umbrella and handle. Paint the rest to keep its lightness.
Step 22
Add a mask to the umbrella group and use a hard black brush to erase the shaft parts on the sea surface and the left fish's fin.
Step 23
Open the tree image and use the Lasso Tool to select the top of the tree to add to the top of the umbrella. Use Ctrl+T with the Warp mode to bend this leaves part to make it look like the fabric part of an umbrella.
Add a mask to the top of the umbrella and use a hard black brush to remove the fabric part.
Step 24
Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to change the color of the leaves.
Create a Color Balance adjustment layer and alter the Midtones and Highlights settings:
Step 25
Add a Curves adjustment layer to bring more light to the bottom of the leaves. On this layer mask, paint on the rest to keep its lightness.
Step 26
Make a new layer below the umbrella's group and use a soft brush with the color #121a19, the opacity about 20% to paint shadow for the shaft on the fish.
Step 27
Create a new layer and change the brushes to the bubble ones. Set the foreground to #d7e7e7 and select the brush you like and press F5 to change the settings of this brush:
Use this brush to paint brushes over the underwater part. Press [ and ] to change the size of this brush while painting to make the effect more realistic.
Step 28
Make a new layer and increase the brush's size. Use this brush to paint some bigger bubbles around the fish.
Step 29
Convert this layer to a Smart Object and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the radius to 7 px:
Add a mask to this layer and use a soft black brush to reduce the bubbles' visibility.
Step 30
Open the window image and use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the window only. Place this window onto the middle of the leaves and use Ctrl+T to refine the form of the window a bit.
Add a mask to this layer and change the brushes to the leaves ones. On this layer mask, select one from the brush set (I've chosen Mulberry 1) and hit F5 to change the settings of this brush.
Use this brush to hide the window edges into the leaves.
Step 31
Make a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to change the color of the window a bit.
Create a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the middle of the window. On this layer mask, paint on the edges to keep its shadow and contrast.
Make another Curves adjustment layer to increase the contrast and shadow for the window's edges. Paint on the middle to reveal the lightness.
Step 32
Open the chimney image and use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the chimney only to add to the right of the leaves. Use Ctrl+T to make it thinner.
Add a mask to this layer and use a hard black brush to hide the bottom of the chimney into the leaves.
Step 33
Create a Color Balance adjustment layer and alter the Midtones values:
Add a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the middle of the chimney. On this layer mask, paint on the rest to keep its shadow.
Step 34
Open the smoke image and use the Lasso Tool to select the smoke part to add to the top of the chimney. Change this layer mode to Screen 100% .
Step 35
Make a Levels adjustment layer to remove the hard edges.
Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and change the Cyans and Blues settings to remove completely the blue cast of the smoke's edges.
Step 36
Isolate the birds and add them to the top left of the sky.
Create a Curves adjustment layer to make some dreamy effect for the birds, making them integrated better with the sky.
Step 37
Make a new layer on top of the layers and use a soft brush with the color #c7b792 with the opacity about 50% to paint around the sea's surface. Change this layer mode to Overlay 100% and add a mask to this layer. Use a soft black brush to remove the light effect on both sides of the sea.
Step 38
Create a new layer on top of the layers and hit G to activate the Gradient Tool. Press D to turn the foreground and background to default colors (black and white). Choose Radial Gradient and drag a line from the top to the bottom of the canvas. Change this layer mode to Soft Light 100% and add a mask to this layer. Use a soft black brush to erase the effect on the sky and both sides of the underwater part.
Make a Color Fill layer and pick the color #121031. Change this layer mode to Exclusion 100%.
Step 39
Add a Color Balance adjustment layer and alter the Midtones and Highlights settings. On this layer mask, use a soft black brush with the opacity about 40% to reduce the effect on both edges of the underwater part.
Create a Photo Filter adjustment layer and pick the color #ec8a00.
Make another Photo Filter adjustment layer and pick the color #fcdd63.
Step 40
Create a Curves adjustment layer to bring more light to the middle of the canvas. On this layer mask, paint on the rest to keep its contrast.
Add another Curves adjustment layer to increase the shadow and contrast on both sides of the canvas. The selected area shows where to paint on the layer mask.
Make a Vibrance adjustment layer to enhance the final effect.
Final Result
